


It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

by Winchestersswifttardis



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Matchmaking, References to Supernatural (TV), Supernatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-08-11 23:40:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7912042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winchestersswifttardis/pseuds/Winchestersswifttardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where you find your soulmate through the Matchmaking system, Castiel finds himself hoping to God he gets matched with his best friend... who he also happens to be in love with. However, like any system, the Matchmaking system can be corrupted by those powerful enough, and love can be divided. Castiel is widely sought after due to his wealth and his strikingly good looks. So with people so desperate to have him, and a system that can be so easily manipulated, how is Castiel supposed to find true love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“This pie is awesome.” Dean mumbled through a mouthful of cherry pie.

He spooned the last bit of pie into his mouth and chewed slowly, savouring the taste. He swallowed, with a look of complete satisfaction on his face, before burping so loudly that a woman in the booth next to him turned around and gave him a dirty look. He returned it with a large grin.

“You say that every time we have some.” Cas replied, an amused smile playing at his lips.

Cas didn’t care; he loved hearing him say it every time, loved the look of content on his face.

“Yes Cas but today is special, we’re celebrating.” Dean announced.

Cas raised his eyebrows at the other boy, waiting for him to continue. They came to their favourite café, ‘Café Diem’ every Saturday morning to have what Dean perceived as, “The best darn cherry pie for miles around.” Cas thought back on the past week. Had Dean won any major football games? Had Sam won (another) academic award at school? Had somebody won a large sum of money? When he came to the conclusion that the answers to these were all no, his brow furrowed deeply as he looked questioningly at Dean.

“C’mon buddy, don’t tell me you forgot your own birthday.” Dean shook his head and chuckled as Cas mumbled out something that sounded like “maybe”.

“Dude, you’re turning 18. That doesn’t happen every day you know. Isn’t Balthazar taking you to see a Matchmaker tomorrow?”

_Oh yeah._

He’d totally forgotten about that. The Matchmakers were a large consortium of people with the power to look into your future with their minds, and determine who your soulmate was. The look Dean was giving him made butterflies erupt in his stomach and flutter around his insides. Cas didn’t need to go to some Matchmaker; he already knew who his soulmate was, he was sitting right there in front of him. He looked into his best friend’s stunning apple green eyes and sighed inwardly. If only his family _knew_. They had insisted on him going to see one, and he doubted they would understand even if he told them.

“Don’t look so worried, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Dean smiled as he looked at him.

_Ah,_ Cas thought, _It’s not me that I’m worried about._

A tinkling bell sounded, signalling a new customer coming into the café. Cas opened his mouth to reply to Dean when the sound of a throat being cleared interrupted him.

“Castiel.” The gravelly English accent caused an unpleasant shiver to travel down Cas's spine.

Cas looked up from the booth to see the man the voice belonged to standing in front of the table, looking at the two boys. He wore a tailored black suit and what appeared to be an expensive Italian black shirt with an intricately detailed dark grey tie. Cas recognised the older man immediately as the infamous and notoriously wealthy, Crowley. Nobody was entirely sure what he did for a living, except that whenever someone crossed him, they went mysteriously missing quite soon after.

“Hello Mr Crowley, it’s nice to see you.” Cas said sternly, very obviously thinking otherwise.

The man either didn’t notice, or chose to ignore it.

“Dean.” Crowley nodded stiffly once in his direction, his small hazel eyes never leaving Cas’.

Dean simply scowled at him, his eyes darkening. Cas hurried to diffuse the situation and get this man as far away from them as possible.

“So, uh, Mr Crowley, what brings you here?” Cas asked him awkwardly.

He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as Crowley gazed at him with a look that weirdly reminded him of the way Golem looked at the Ring of Power. Which he only knew about because Dean had sat him down one day, and made him watch the entire ‘Lord of The Rings Trilogy- Extended Edition’ with him.

“I came to wish you a Happy Birthday and good luck for your appointment with the Matchmaker tomorrow.” He was fixated on Cas and seemed to be pointedly ignoring Dean.

“Uh thank-“ He was interrupted by a seething Dean.

“Yes thank you very much, he appreciates it”. Dean’s words dripped with sarcasm. “Now that you’ve said what you wanted to, you can leave.” He very nearly spat on the man.

“Dean!” Cas hissed, eyes widening.

Crowley tore his eyes away from Cas for a moment to focus on Dean. His eyes flashed with rage almost imperceptibly, before he composed his features.

“No, it’s quite alright. I have a client to attend to anyway.” His eyes returned to look at Cas once again. “I guess I’ll see you around then.” Cas smiled tightly as the man turned and strode out the door, the tinkling bell sounding in his wake.

Dean glared at the man as he made his way to his shiny black Lamborghini Veneno, and disappeared from view. Dean growled profanities to himself as he tried to push his anger down; before he hit something, or _someone_ for that matter.

“Dean, he’s a dangerous man. I know you don’t like him but you could be a little more polite.” Cas said quietly, any conviction at all that was meant, lost in the weight of concern that the words held.

“That _was_ me being polite.” Dean muttered, avoiding Cas’ eyes.

“I know.” Cas sighed, wanting nothing more than to draw Dean into a hug and never let him go; in what he knew would be a desperate, yet futile attempt to protect him from himself.

Cas rubbed his face with his hand and observed the bustling café around them. It seemed that everyone was completely oblivious to the event that had just occurred. And he smiled to himself as he realised that hey, life went on.

“Hey,” Cas sat up straight and regarded the other boy. When he didn’t look up Cas continued slightly louder, “Dean, look at me.” Dean raised his head somewhat and looked doubtfully at his best friend. “Dean, we came here to celebrate and have a good time. We’re not going to let some unpleasant ass-butt ruin it for us now, will we?”

Dean’s anger melted as he looked into Cas’ piercing sky-blue eyes. His expression softened and he couldn’t help but give Cas a look filled with amused appreciation in spite of himself.

Cas signalled a waitress for the bill and she returned two minutes later. She leaned right over to place the bill on the table, blatantly showing off her cleavage to Dean. She stood up slowly and Cas suddenly noticed how short her skirt was; much shorter than appropriate for a work place environment, he was sure.

“Here’s your bill.” She smiled a sticky, red lipstick smile directly at Dean.

“Thanks sweetheart.” He returned the smile with a smile of his own, the one that usually (if not always) made people swoon.

This girl was no exception. She giggled and flicked a lock of curly blonde hair over her shoulder, then plucked a napkin from its holder, pulled out a pen from behind her ear, and wrote something down on it. She placed the napkin on top of the bill, and then turned on her heel and walked away. Cas felt an ugly emotion begin to bubble up inside of him and he attempted to push it down before Dean noticed.

“Is that her number?” Cas asked, attempting to keep his voice normal.

_So much for being inconspicuous._

“Yeah, but not interested.” Dean threw some cash onto the tray, leaving the napkin underneath.

Cas lowered his head to hide his face as he smiled to himself. He pulled out his wallet and began thumbing through it when he felt a warm hand on top of his, halting his actions. Cas’ heart leaped at the contact and he looked up to see Dean staring at him.

“My shout.”

Cas beamed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean stresses about Cas' matchmaking, and Sam knows things.

The sun was a radiant, golden orb of happiness in the impossibly blue sky and it shone warmly on Dean’s face as he strolled home after saying goodbye to Cas. Okay, so maybe that description was a little bit too flowery, but hey, he was in a good mood.

Although, as Dean reflected on the day, his mood dampened as he was reminded of their encounter with that son-of-a-bitch Crowley. Cas had always been beautiful, inside and out, and pure of heart. He was also incredibly wealthy, which drew the attention of many. There were plenty of suitors, men and women, who were lining up at his door already to take his hand in marriage. Jealousy still plagued Dean, even though Cas had continually assured him that he wouldn’t agree to any such proposals. When Dean asked him why not, he simply shrugged and babbled about his family belief in the Matchmaking system.

Even so, it didn’t stop Dean’s jealousy, and he thanked God that Cas’ family were such big believers in the Matchmaking system. Dean of course hoped that he’d be Cas’ soul mate, but would support Cas regardless of whether or not they were soulmates. Dean was hopelessly in love with his best friend. It may have taken him years to admit it, and a lot of prodding from his friend Charlie, but once he did, it was like a giant pressure was lifted off of him. It didn’t matter that Cas probably didn’t feel the same way, Dean just loved being with him, around him. If he was being honest, which he almost never was, he was dreading Cas’ matchmaking. He wasn’t sure if he could handle watching Cas be in love with someone else.

He reached the front door of his semi-rundown house, pulled his keys out of his back pocket and unlocked the door. He stepped inside, shut the door firmly behind him and locked it with a click. He then turned right into the living room and flopped down onto the stained-by-God-knows-what couch. He looked around and reached for the remote on the floor a few feet away from him. After a few moments of struggling because he wasn’t tall enough to reach it sitting down, he finally decided to actually get up and get it. He grumbled as he sat back down and switched on the wrestling channel. He just needed some mindless entertainment to get his mind off everything.

“Dean?” A small voice came from behind him.

He looked over the couch to see Sam standing in the entryway.

“Hey Sammy, didn’t know you were home.” He smiled at his younger brother.

He noticed Sam was still in his flannel pyjamas and his hair was seriously mussed.

“It’s 2 in the afternoon Sam, so I’m either guessing you’ve been roofied, or you’ve been playing World of Warcraft all night again.” Dean laughed at his brother, whom was slowly turning redder the more he laughed.

“Shut up Dean.”

“Thought so, you little geek.” He gave Sam a toothy grin and turned back to watch the TV.

He heard Sam padding along the floorboards behind him, then sit down beside him on the ratty, old couch. After a few minutes into the match, when one man had the other in a stranglehold, he noticed Sam was staring at him; and it was slowly making Dean uncomfortable.

“What?”

“Just thinking about Cas’ matchmaking tomorrow.” Sam said innocently, turning to look at the screen.

Dean felt his heart leap in his chest and tore his eyes away from the TV to scrutinize Sam. He seemed genuine enough. Of course he was, he didn’t know anything. Dean felt himself blush.

“What about it?” Dean looked away from Sam, worried his face might give something away.

“I like him, I just hope he gets someone he deserves.” Sam seemed contemplative for a second, then he snorted. “If he’s lucky he might get you.”

He laughed then, seemingly oblivious to Dean’s moment of complete and utter shock, before he burst into a fit of awkward laughter himself.

“I’m serious about it though.” Sam continued, “I’ve heard the system can be corrupted sometimes.”

Dean raised a single eyebrow at his brother. Sam opened his mouth to give an explanation when they heard the door open and close.

“Boys, I’m home!” A voice bellowed loudly from the doorway.

“Bobby, we’re right here! Jeez, you don’t have to yell.” Sam had his classic bitch-face on.

“Well so-rry princess, didn’t mean to hurt your prissy ears.”

Sam looked as if he were about to argue so Dean rushed to speak first, he didn’t need Uncle Bobby giving them extra chores to do or something equally monstrous.

“Where’s Dad?”

“Sorry Dean, he’s still at the shop finishing up a job, he’ll be home late tonight. But he told me to bring back the Impala for you if you needed it, since I’ll be leaving tonight to do a job in St. Louis and can’t give you a ride anywhere for a few days.” He said, gesturing vaguely towards the front door as he walked into the living room, laying a hand on the back of the couch.

“Awesome.” Dean tried not to show how excited he really was.

“Only if you _need_ it Dean, don’t get too excited.” He said pointedly, somehow seeing through Dean’s obviously perfect show of looking indifferent.

“Okay, only for emergencies.” He gave Bobby an innocent smile.

All three of them knew he was lying, but Bobby just shrugged and dropped the subject. Bobby then walked through the living room and into the kitchen, presumably to get something to eat. Dean may not have his full licence yet but he was a damn good driver and everyone knew it. He also had a fake ID and licence in his wallet so he could get away with mostly anything on his own. Bobby emerged from the kitchen two minutes later with a haphazardly made sandwich and keys in hand, making his way back to the front door. He shoved the sandwich in his mouth and held it there as he opened the door. He paused halfway out, hand still on the knob. He turned to look at Sam and looked briefly confused before a look of recollection passed over his face.

“Sam, why are you still in your- Never mind, just get your skinny ass upstairs and dressed and be down here in five minutes or else I won’t take you to Garth’s.” He mumbled almost incoherently through his sandwich.

Sam’s eyes widened slightly and then he leapt off the couch and sprinted up the stairs at top speed.

“Why’s he going to Garth’s? That kid’s creepy as hell.” Dean questioned.

“You don’t have to like him, boy. Sam and him are doing some science project or somethin’.” Bobby said, positioning his iconic hat on his head.

Dean snorted.

“Nerd.”

Sam bounded down the stairs at that moment, giving Dean a dirty look. He didn’t comment as he walked out the door, already ajar, and stalked down the path to Bobby’s beaten up truck. Bobby rolled his eyes before shrugging on his jacket and following the younger boy. The door was almost closed behind him when suddenly, he popped his head back inside.

“Just stay out of trouble you idjit.” He then closed the door with a light thud.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas worries about his Matchmaking the following day, and Gabriel can be a dick sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Sabriel as much as the next person, but as I was writing this story, this is what flowed out instead. No Sabriel here, sorry guys. Another time though!

Cas was lying on his bed, peacefully reading ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’, when his door suddenly burst open and Gabriel came barging in, shocking Cas so much that he dropped the novel on his face.

“Do you mind?” Cas asked breathlessly, slapping a hand over his rapidly beating heart, while the other removed the book from his face.

“Not in the slightest, dear Castiel.” Gabriel flopped down onto Cas’ bed and ran a hand through his perfectly slicked back, dark hair.

“I would appreciate it if you knocked.” Cas put his book on the bedside table and regarded his brother’s neat attire.

Cas assumed he was going out with his wife, Alison, tonight.

“Ah yes, but you see, the thing is… I don’t care.” Gabriel continued, and, completely ignoring Cas’ annoyed expression, ploughed on with the conversation, leaving no room for Cas to respond. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Gabriel asked him, looking almost serious.

A rare thing for Gabriel, Cas knew. Cas’ stomach dropped at the reminder and he simply nodded in reply.

“Don’t be, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I’m sure it’ll be the same for you. I walked into the Matchmaking office and they sat me down and something incredible happened, I can’t quite explain it.” His eyes glazed over for a moment, seemingly completely lost in memory.

“Anyway,” He said, shaking his head slightly, “You’ll be married within the fortnight to the love of your life and it’ll be terrific, trust me.” He genuinely smiled and Cas knew he was thinking about his soulmate.

“Easy for you to say, you’ve already been through it and you practically already knew it would be Alison.” He said nervously, pulling at a stray strand on the hem of his periwinkle sweater.

“Well who's to say you don’t already know who your soulmate will be?” Gabriel’s lips quirked up at the sides, and he had this look like he knew something Cas didn’t.

Then again, he always had that look.

“I just- can we please talk about something else?” Cas pleaded.

Gabriel pouted slightly, though he nodded, much to Cas’ relief.

 “Okay… let’s talk about something else then.” Gabriel went quiet for a moment while he thought, and regarded Cas’ neat and almost completely bare room.

Plain, polished and unmarked wooden floor and panelled walls. A large, wooden bookcase nearly over flowing with books which Cas had read at least 6 times each. His eyes finally rested back on Cas and paused for a moment before continuing. Gabriel smirked.

“So how was your date?” Gabriel waggled his eyebrows at the younger boy.

“I’m not- he doesn’t- it wasn’t a date!” Cas huffed, his face and neck heating up.

“Oh sure it wasn’t.” He rolled his eyes and laughed at Cas’ terrified expression. “Don’t worry, I promise not to tell.” He winked at the flustered boy and swaggered out of the room, leaving the door wide open behind him.

Cas stared after him, his mouth agape. How could he even suggest something like that? Dean and himself were just good friends, and nothing more, no matter how much he hoped. Gabriel was just teasing him. It wasn’t fair. Gabriel had essentially everything he wanted in life; and Cas didn't, and probably couldn’t. He frowned and jumped off his bed, strode over to his door and shut it quietly. He turned, leaned his back against the door and slid down to a sitting position. He didn’t know how tomorrow would go, if it would be good or bad, or how he would come out feeling. He didn’t know what to do except hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean impatiently waits for information on Cas' matchmaking appointment.

Dean sat at the kitchen island, staring at the old phone in the centre of the table and bouncing his leg nervously. Cas promised he would call with news by midday. It was 1pm now and Dean had not moved since 11:30am, apprehensively awaiting a call that had not yet come. Now he was getting worried.

Maybe Cas’ appointment was late? Maybe it had been cancelled all together? Dean laughed humourlessly to himself; he knew both of those possibilities were very, _very_ unlikely. But he could still hope.

“Dean, just go to his house and ask.”

Sam walked into the kitchen, grabbed a shiny red apple out of the fruit bowl and shoved it in his mouth. Dean sat rigidly on the edge of his seat, considering the idea.

“Seriously dude, you’re making me nervous just watching you. You’re gonna bounce your leg off.” Sam eyed his older brother worriedly.

Dean stood up and looked hesitantly at the front door.

“Just go man, what’s the worst that can happen?” Sam asked simply, taking a massive bite of his apple and chewing it loudly.

Oh you have _no_ idea, Dean thought. But his racing heart and burning curiosity pushed him out the door, with a distracted goodbye to Sam. He half ran-half walked down the street as he hurried to Cas’ house, practically on the other side of town; the rich side. Dark clouds were forming in the sky and he heard a low rumbling of thunder, soon followed by a light smattering of rain on the sidewalk. Dean turned his collar up against the wind as it slowly picked up, causing the browning leaves on the trees to rustle in aggravation at the sudden turn in weather. The roads were empty and the air was bitingly cold against Dean’s lightly clothed skin. He picked up speed as he turned up and down suburban streets, heading straight for Garrison Rd. The rain rapidly got heavier, until it was pouring down and soaking through Dean’s clothes. He saw the street sign he was looking for and turned down it, rushing to Cas’ house. Or really, he should say mansion.

The large, white, Victorian mansion loomed over Dean in an intimidating way. Curling black railings encircling the porch shimmered in the rain as he ran up the short flight of stairs and banged loudly on the door with his fist. He waited for what was probably 2 minutes, but for what had agonisingly seemed like forever, before the door creaked open to reveal a young red headed girl.

“Dean?” Cas’ little sister asked carefully, opening the door to its fullest extent, revealing a bustling home full of people rushing around and occasionally yelling at each other.

“Hey Ana, where’s Cas?” Dean asked worriedly, his eyes darting about the room and heart beating almost painfully against his ribs.

“Oh, nobody told you?” Dean shook his head, no. “He’s busy. We’re arranging a meeting with his soulmate’s family to discuss the wedding.” Dean’s heart stopped all together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas' matchmaking appointment.

Cas was pacing back and forth in his room as he awaited for his brother Balthazar, wringing his hands and checking his wrist watch every 30 seconds. It was 11:15 am and his appointment was in 15 minutes. Cas was going to find out who the love of his life was in 15 minutes. His stomach flipped and he had to fight to keep down what little food he’d had for breakfast this morning. He couldn’t concentrate all through church and was distracted whenever somebody tried to communicate with him. At least no one pushed him, they all understood. Well, sort of.

There was a light knock at his door and he rushed to open it. Balthazar was standing just outside, fixing the cuffs on his jacket. He looked up as Cas closed the door behind him, and nodded in greeting, gesturing for the boy to walk with him down the stairs.

Cas had the highest room in the house. When his family moved in and the kids were told to pick their rooms, he went straight to the attic and settled there. He liked the privacy, and sometimes he just needed to get away. But of course this meant it was a longer journey through the three storey house just to get to the front door.

They walked through the old house at a fast pace. Much of it was decorated like his room; plain panelled walls, floor and ceiling, but forest green adornment instead of maroon. Nobody else was to be seen in the house, but he didn’t think this odd, as his family usually spent most of the time by themselves. Especially after being together and having to behave all morning at church.

Soon they were sitting in Balthazar’s cream vintage Mustang and driving into town. Balthazar was attempting to make conversation or give words of encouragement, Cas wasn’t sure; he wasn’t really listening. He couldn’t seem to focus on anything but his nerves. Instead he tried to focus on looking out the window. He saw a few young kids playing on the sidewalk, and their parents having coffee on the front porch of a nearby house. He sighed at how uncomplicated and happy the situation looked. He looked up at the sky and frowned when he saw grey clouds beginning to form.

“Cas.” Balthazar waved a hand in front of his face.

“Sorry, what?” Cas asked dazedly.

“We’re here numb nut.” He said, shaking his head and getting out of the car.

They were parked on the street a few metres down from the two story stone building labelled, ‘The Matchmakers: Find true love here!’. Cas took a deep breath and placed his hand on the car door handle.

 _Okay, I can do this,_ he thought.

He got out of the car and strode down the cracked path with Balthazar. Upon seeing the bright red sign on the building, Cas' stomach lurched; he cast his eyes to the ground and continued walking. They reached the glass sliding doors to the building and approached the front desk just inside. They stood there facing a woman in her late fifties with greying hair pinned tightly at the back of her head. She was typing on her computer and didn’t seem to notice them, even when Balthazar cleared his throat. Finally, in her own time, she stopped typing and looked up at them. She didn’t seem happy at all to be interrupted.

“Can I help you?” She asked, irritation clear in her expression.

Cas stood there dumbfounded. What now?

Balthazar looked to see his brother’s bewildered expression and rolled his eyes.

“Appointment for Castiel Novak.” Balthazar said indifferently.

“Yes, a Matchmaker will be with you in a moment, please take a seat.” She said mechanically, returning to punch something in on the keyboard to her computer.

Cas spotted some plush arm chairs along the side wall and made his way to sit down. Balthazar sat beside him with a bored expression while Cas twiddled his thumbs and bounced his knee.

Balthazar leaned over and spoke low enough so the woman couldn’t hear him, “ _Somebody’s_ panties are in a knot.”

Cas smiled minutely, but didn’t feel any better. He just wished this was over already, but at the same time, he didn’t want it to happen at all. He wondered where Dean was now, and what he was thinking. Secretly, he’d hoped Dean was thinking about him.

“Castiel Novak?” A deep voice called.

Beside the front desk on the left, there was a carpeted staircase leading to the upper level, and there; a stout, bearded man in a long, navy coat was standing. Cas stood and wiped his sweating hands on his jeans. He took a step forward then paused to quickly glance back at his brother, who gave him a reassuring smile and a double thumbs up. Cas gave him a tight smile, then turned and continued on his path. He reached the stair case and the man held out his hand. Cas took it and a firm hand shake was ensued. Cas noticed he was wearing several rings on his hands and his clothes looked quite expensive. Clearly this man had money, and loved to show it off.

“My name’s Mr Kingsley, and I’ll be your Matchmaker.” He was a large man with dark beady eyes that raked Cas’ figure up and down.

Cas shivered marginally under the scrutiny. Mr Kingsley didn’t seem to notice, and then finally seeming satisfied, walked up the stairs; expecting Cas to follow. So he did. He emerged from the staircase into a short hallway with two rooms either side, with labels on each door. They walked to the end of the white hallway to the final door with “Mr. Robert Kingsley” written in small, black block letters at eye level. They walked inside the room and Mr Kingsley sat down in a navy plush chair that matched his coat. Across from that was an identical chair, clearly for Cas to sit. The room was surprisingly quite small, with only room for the two chairs and a desk. Cas knew this business earned a lot of money, and didn’t quite understand why the dwellings were not more extravagant. He guessed it was supposed to be a part of the charm, something more relateable to the wider demographic.

“Now Castiel, I’m going to need to hold your hands because contact makes seeing into the soul easier.” His tone was professional, but he had a somewhat greedy look in his eyes as he reached for Cas’ hands.

Cas was uncertain, but he’d heard of this before and placed his hands tentatively in the older man’s much larger ones. Cas cringed inwardly at the unpleasant sensation of Mr Kingsley’s clammy palms.

“Close your eyes.” Mr Kingsley demanded in an undertone.

Cas obeyed and tried to brace himself for- well, he didn’t know what. He felt sort of naked in a way. This man, whom he didn’t know, was going to just gaze into his mind-er, soul- and read it. Suddenly, there was a small tugging feeling in his head, and it wasn’t pleasant, but it wasn’t unpleasant either. Soon the tugging quickly got progressively stronger and Cas frowned and mentally struggled against the grip. His brows furrowed and he tried to keep still as this man dug through his mind. And then suddenly, just as quickly as the tugging began, it ended; much to Cas’ relief. The tugging was now replaced with a slight headache in Cas’ temple. He didn’t know what he was expecting to happen, but he felt disappointed somehow, like something _hadn’t_ happened. Almost like something was missed or ignored.

He opened his eyes and pulled his hands from the other man’s to rest in his lap, trying to inconspicuously wipe off Mr Kingsley’s sweat. He looked at Mr Kingsley, who was already staring at him, and he quickly looked away, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under the man’s scrutiny.

“Your family and that of your soulmate’s will be contacted shortly, Castiel, and a bill will be sent to your home in three days or less. And please make sure to take a look at our brochures on wedding and family planning in the lobby.” Mr Kingsley seemed to be hurrying as he talked, almost like he wanted Cas out of there as soon as possible.

Cas’ frown deepened. Yes, but, who exactly _was_ his soulmate?

“Excuse me, but, can you tell me who my soulmate is please?” Cas asked, trying not to sound impatient.

“Oh. Yes, right, I'm sure you've heard of him.” His eyes darted around the room as he talked. “Do you know a man named Crowley?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean struggles to handle the information about Cas and his soulmate.

“What?” Dean’s voice sounded hollow even to his own ears as he tried to process what was going on.

“Yeah, he said he was meaning to call you earlier but he didn’t get a chance." Ana shrugged, "I suppose _I_ better tell you then. His soulmate’s name is Crowley. You know the-“

Dean didn’t give her a chance to finish her sentence. He whipped around and bounded down the stairs, bile rising in his throat.

 _No, that can’t be right. It_ can’t _be._

The rain was bucketing down by that point and Dean slipped a few times while sprinting along the street. He turned corners and ran across the roads with complete disregard for the traffic. He didn’t care, they may as well run him over. It certainly couldn’t hurt more than the emotional blow he was just given. His feet pounded the pavement and continually splashed muddy water into his shoes and on his jeans. He reached his house in record time, and barged in the still unlocked door, not bothering to wipe his feet.

He dashed up the stairs and into his room, and began to rummage through his drawers. Keys, wallet, fake ID. No phone, he could be tracked. He reluctantly put his mobile back in his drawer. He picked up his jacket off the back of his desk chair and pulled it on. He couldn’t think straight, he just knew he needed to get as far away as possible. He shoved some clothes and his things into a duffle, not really paying attention to what he was doing. Tears began to well in his eyes as he hurried back down the stairs with his bag slung over his shoulder and ran out the door. He shut it with a bang and ran to the Impala, resting in the driveway. He threw his bag into the backseat and jumped into the front seat, jammed the keys in the ignition and backed out carelessly onto the road.

He turned on the wipers but he still couldn’t see the road properly. It took him a while to realise what was blurring his vision was not the rain, but his own damn tears. He hastily wiped them away with his forearm and just drove. The driving was a distraction, and he knew he wasn’t going to stop any time soon. He drove until he passed the ‘You are now leaving Lawrence’ sign. He kept driving after that for God only knows how long. A few hours into the trip, he had calmed down considerably, but he was left with a sudden emptiness in his heart. He tried to ignore it, but it kept gnawing at his insides and reminding him of his loss. He tried not to think about Cas, but that beautiful man kept showing up in his head no matter what he thought about. Even Metallica on the loudest volume couldn’t drown him out. He shook his head and tried to pay attention to the road ahead of him. He had already gone past Tulsa and it was starting to get dark. It was when he was starting to run out of gas that he finally decided to stop in the nearest town, Oklahoma City.

He pulled in to a nearby gas station and filled Baby up. It was sprinkling now, and the asphalt shone silver in the light rain. He noticed how clean it was there. There were no bums asking for his money, and no buff bikie dudes smoking a joint in a huddle and threatening to ‘ruin his pretty face’ with their fists. Sure, it still smelt like gas and smoke, but this was far better than any side-of-the-road gas station he’d ever been to before; and he liked it.

He went into the store to pay for his gas. He looked around at the array food neatly arranged on the metal shelves and felt sick looking at it, for the first time in his entire life. He made a sour face and walked up to the cashier. He barely looked up as he payed for the gas. He was sure he looked like hell. He didn’t need any sympathy from some stranger. He was finishing the transaction and glanced up briefly at the cashier. His heart skipped a beat.

“And here’s your change.” The cashier smiled and handed him a few coins over the counter.     

It was a guy around his age, with tousled black hair and cloudy blue eyes. The name tag said his name was Jimmy. Dean was immobile for a moment and it took most of his mental power to process that he should probably take his change. Dean took the change silently, and tried to tell his body to move.

“Hey man, are you alright?” Jimmy asked with a hint of worry.

Dean simply shook his head at the guy and tripped backwards as he tried to get out the door as fast as he could. The guy gave him a strange look as Dean practically ran back to his car.

He got inside his car after fumbling with his keys and dropping them twice, and banged his head on the steering wheel. He had to pull himself together. He couldn’t run in the opposite direction every time a guy who looked even remotely like Cas came his way.

He clenched his teeth as he looked for a nearby motel. After about 20 minutes, he found a cheap enough looking motel for him to stay in. It was a run down, two storey building that had roughly 30 rooms by the look of it. It was one long building with a car park on the right and reception in the front; he parked the Impala and headed towards the reception desk. The floral wallpaper was peeling off the walls and there was a weird yellow-ish stain on the grey carpet. Although, it smelled like vanilla and the elderly gentleman behind the desk smiled at him warmly as he approached the desk.

“Welcome to the Americas Best Value Inn, how can I help you?”

“Hi, can I just get a room for me, thanks.” Dean tried to return the man’s smile, but found that he couldn’t, so he settled on just being polite.

“I can give you room 26, it’s right near the end.” The man handed over a set of keys and Dean payed for 2 nights.

He wasn’t sure how long he was going to be there, but he could always pay for longer and it was cheap enough that he could leave before the 2 nights were up and it wouldn’t matter. Not that he thought that would be happening. He thanked the man and turned to leave when the man suddenly spoke up.

“Oh, and son?”

Dean turned around and looked quizzically at the wrinkled man.

“There’s a bottle of whiskey in the mini fridge. It looks like you might need it. But you didn’t hear it from me.” He winked at Dean.

There was a silver ‘2’ nailed on his door and a painted ‘6’ beside it. He unlocked the door and walked inside, dumping his bag on the floor. He noticed a queen size bed with a pink duvet on his right and a TV and mini fridge on his left as he walked straight to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. His eyes were red and puffy, and he resembled a drowned rat. He looked away; he felt even worse than he looked. He returned to his room and sat on his bed and suddenly he was overcome with a feeling of loneliness. He’d just left everyone and everything he’d ever known and loved and run away to a strange place. Maybe he thought he’d feel better somehow, leaving it all behind and not telling anyone where he went. He realised with and jolt that Sammy was probably worried sick, and with this, he remembered what the kindly old man said to him. Opening the fridge, he pulled out the bottle of whiskey, and became aware of how sad the situation of him drinking an entire bottle alone was. Dean didn’t think he’d ever sink this low.

“Well there’s a first time for everything.” He said to himself, laughing darkly.

He took a swig straight from the bottle, not bothering to get a glass out. The drink burned his throat and he grimaced, but kept drinking. Eventually, the pain started to fade and everything was blurry. Dean was growing tired, and after a considerable of the bottle was emptied, everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Gabriel talk about the Matchmaking.

The wedding was planned for 2 days’ time. This was a nightmare. Cas was standing in the ornate living room with his family rushing around him, trying to get the home ready. Crowley was coming to their house in half an hour to meet Cas and his family to discuss wedding plans. Cas hadn’t talked since he found out who his soulmate was. He was so shocked, he could barely process what was going on around him. It was like looking at the world through frosted glass.

He was told that someone had contacted his father to let him know his son was getting married, but his father didn’t answer. No surprises there, Cas supposed. His father had left years ago, and while he still sent cheques and cards every year on their birthdays, he never actually tried interacting with them. Apparently they also tried to contact his older brother Lucifer, but there was no reply. His brother had run away a few days prior to his own Matchmaking, years ago now. He hated the idea of it and couldn’t stand being in the family anymore. No one had heard from him since. Now his second eldest brother Michael was taking care of them all.

“Cas, get that ugly sweater off and get into your nice suit, Crowley will be here soon.” Michael looked at him sternly over the counter he was arranging ornaments on.

Cas frowned at him, offended by the sweater comment. It was his favourite sweater, and Dean loved it when he wore it.

_Dean._

Cas felt his heart contract at the thought.

“C’mon Cas, I’ll help you out.” Gabriel put a hand on Cas’ shoulder and practically pushed him up the stairs, shooting Michael an irritated look.

They walked into Cas’ bedroom and Cas flopped down onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He felt sort of numb, in a way.

“I’m not going to dress you _for_ you.” Gabriel carped, searching through Cas’ closet.

Cas didn’t reply, he just watched the dim, flickering, yellow light above his head. For one ridiculous moment, he felt empathetic towards the dying light bulb.

“I’m serious.” Gabriel dumped the suit on Cas’ stomach, but Cas didn’t even protest.

He felt the bed dip down slightly beside him and assumed Gabriel had sat down.

“Hey, are you okay?” Gabriel sounded honestly _concerned_.

Suddenly, it was like the whole world had caught up with Cas. He felt as if a large weight was crushing his chest and he could barely breathe. Tears stung his eyes as he shook his head meekly at his older brother.

“I just- I just don’t understand!” Cas exclaimed in a broken voice. “Aren’t I meant to be happy? Shouldn’t I feel in love? Because I don’t! If anything, I feel the complete opposite.” Cas bolted upright.

Cas’ heart was thumping and his breathing was laboured. Gabriel gave him a level look, seemingly calculating his sudden outburst.

“And back at that place, I don’t know it just, I guess, I don’t know, it just felt _wrong_ , but it couldn’t have been but it still doesn’t feel right and I haven’t been able to call Dean and tell him anything and I just…. I can’t even _breathe.”_ Cas gasped, sinking back down onto the bed, his head falling into his hands.

Gabriel laid a hand on his brothers back and kept it there until Cas’ breathing had slowed.

“I knew something wasn’t right.”

Cas lifted his head from his hands to look at his brother. Gabriel’s slate grey eyes were intense as he looked at Cas.

“What do you mean?” Cas’ voice wobbled.

“This whole thing.” Gabriel paused for a moment before continuing, “That is not at all how you should be feeling right now, clearly something is wrong. Look, you get dressed and we’ll have the meeting with Crowley, I’ll do what I can to find out what’s going on.”

Cas' eyes met his brother's, and slowly he nodded at him. But surely, there wasn't anything wrong? Where was Dean when he needed him most?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley meets with Castiel's family to plan the wedding.

The awkward tension in the room was palpable. Cas’ family sat scattered around the couches in his living room, and he was shoved unpleasantly against the side of Crowley on a two seater couch. Although Cas tried to move as far away from him as possible, Crowley seemed determined to always be touching him, and moved closer every time he moved away. Michael cleared his throat.

“So, this wedding. What day works for you?” Michael asked Crowley, thankfully breaking the suffocating silence.

Crowley smiled at Michael, a smile which Cas found alarmingly disturbing, and said, “I would prefer tomorrow, but an important client sadly prevents that possibility. Two days time is when the wedding will be, and I will handle all the details.” His British accent was grating on Cas, and the finality with which he spoke left no room for argument.

Cas realised suddenly that Crowley was treating the situation almost like a business deal, one that Crowley was in complete control of. It was his way, or the highway, and Cas knew that his family was too fearful of the man to argue with him. Two days time was frighteningly soon, and Cas wasn’t sure if he was going to faint or not. The only thing that kept him doing so was the horrifying thought of Crowley giving him mouth-to-mouth.

“Two days? Are you sure? Planning can take a while sometimes.” Michael said, and everyone in the room could tell that he was walking on eggshells.

“I’m always sure about my decisions Mr Novak, don’t you worry.” Crowley looked at Cas with a predatory glint in his eyes, and placed a hand on Cas’ knee.

Cas had to repress the revolted expression that fought to make an appearance on his face. He forced a tight smile at Crowley; he didn’t want to incur his wrath. Crowley seemed satisfied with his reaction, and left his hand on Cas’ leg. Cas inwardly gagged.

_Why am I gagging if this man is my soulmate? Maybe I just need to get used to him, I’ve been wary of him for a very long time._

Cas forced himself to relax and try to enjoy the sensation, which was proving extraordinarily difficult.

 _Just give it time,_ he thought.

What Cas found extremely odd, but unsurprising, was Crowley’s lack of family and close friends. He had come to the meeting alone, aside from his driver, and Ana had pointed this out to him. This fact was supported by his request not to have a bridal party, which was only briefly and rather pathetically disputed by Michael and by some poorly disguised glaring from Ana. Cas assumed his request was because of Crowley’s lack of close social connections, and decided that maybe it was a fair request to make. Cas realised with a shock that Crowley’s social ostracism was no longer  exactly true, Crowley had Cas now.

The afternoon passed excruciatingly slowly, and the feeling of dread sitting in Cas’ chest only alleviated slightly when Crowley left.

 _I shouldn’t feel_ better _now that he’s gone._

Ana looked worriedly at Cas as he made his way quietly to his room without saying anything. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel finds out that Dean is missing.

The next morning, Cas woke to the sound of his mobile ringing. He fumbled blindly to answer his phone and end Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’, which Dean claimed was a great song that was under appreciated, promptly programming it into his phone.

“Hello?” Cas asked groggily, not bothering to check the Caller ID as he put the phone to his ear.

“Hey Cas, it’s Sam.” Sam’s voice sounded off to Cas, something was wrong.

“Sam, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Cas’ sat up quickly, quickly becoming worried.

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay,” Cas breathed a sigh of relief, “It’s Dean,” Cas’ heart faltered for a moment, “He didn’t come home last night and we tried calling him, but he left his phone at home. The Impala and some of his stuff is gone as well, so we think he drove somewhere without telling anyone. Is he with you? Do you know where he is?”

“No, I haven’t seen him since we went to the cafe.” Cas racked his brains, trying to think of a place Dean would run off to, and trying to think of the reasons why. “Do you know why he left, like; did he seem upset or anything? That might give you an indication.” Cas was pacing back and forth on his floorboards.

“Not really, are you sure you haven’t seen him? He was fine when I saw him last. The last time I saw him was yesterday, he said he was going to see you.”

Cas paused, his mind reeling. Had Dean come to see him? Everything had been so crazy, maybe one of his siblings told Dean that he was too busy to talk.

“I didn’t see him Sam, I’m sorry, but maybe someone in this house did while I was busy, I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”

“Okay, please do.” Sam’s voice was quiet and strained, “Bye.”

“Bye.” Cas hung up and shoved the phone in his pocket.

Cas bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he found Gabriel and Ana having breakfast. They looked up as he arrived, Ana looking increasingly concerned as she took in his appearance. He was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, and he had caught a glimpse of his horrible bed-hair in the mirror on his way downstairs.

“Did either of you see Dean yesterday?” Cas asked, his expression wild.

“Uh, yeah, he came to the door asking for you, why?” Ana answered, taking a bite out of her toast like she didn’t have a care in the world.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He demanded.

“Calm down.” Gabriel said at the same time as Ana spoke, “I forgot! Sorry Cas that can happen sometimes when a lot happens at once, I hope you can forgive me.” Ana’s sarcasm did not go unnoticed by Cas.

“This isn’t a joke Ana, Dean is missing. What did he say to you? Did he seem upset?”

Gabriel and Ana’s eyes widened.

“What? Really?” Gabriel asked, his forehead creasing.

“Yes, really. Sam just called, he’s trying to find out what could’ve made Dean want to run away, and Ana’s apparently the last person to have seen him.” Cas replied, turning his furious gaze to Ana.

“Uh-um,” Ana stuttered, “He came asking how your matchmaking went, I assume because you wouldn’t pick up the phone. I told him how it went and then he just went really quiet and left without saying goodbye. I don’t know where he went Cas, I’m sorry.”

Ana was wringing her hands and her brows were drawn together with worry. Cas deflated, this wasn’t her fault.

Cas shook his head, “No Ana, sorry I freaked out on you I’m sure he’s fine. He is an adult after all. He’s taken the Impala and some of his belongings with him. I need to call Sam back and let him know what you told me.”

Gabriel put his hand on Cas’ shoulder, “We’ll find him Cas, has his family called the police?”

“I don’t think so, it hasn’t been twenty four hours yet, and he's legally an adult. I think they will if he doesn’t come back soon though. I hope he’s okay, I don’t know why he would’ve run away.”

Cas frowned as he dialled Sam’s number and rang him.

 _This is such a mess,_ he thought.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean tries to move on from Cas.

_Why the hell do birds have to be so obnoxious?_ Dean thought, groaning as he slowly woke from his alcohol induced sleep.

Chirping birds and a hangover was not a good combination apparently. Dean stumbled to the bathroom and drank straight from the tap, grimacing at how disgusting his mouth felt. He grabbed the aspirin he’d left on the sink the day before and swallowed two, and brushed his teeth furiously. He didn’t need to look in the mirror to know he looked like hell. He’d just spent his second and last night at the motel, knowing that he should probably go back home soon just to let everyone know that he was okay. Head pounding, he jumped into the shower and washed himself, fully aware that he stunk of alcohol and body odour. 

Last night, in his whiskey induced state on the second night in the motel, he decided to see a matchmaker as soon as possible. He’d been 18 for a few months, but was hesitant about going to see a one. Not everyone saw one, and he loved Cas, he didn’t care if Cas was his actual soulmate or not, he knew he just wanted to be with him. However, with Cas’ family being such big believers in the system, he knew that finding out would be inevitable, but that didn’t stop him from delaying it just a few more months. It was probably a little bit pathetic, but he didn’t care.

Knowing what he knew now, he figured the only thing that could make him feel better was finding his own soulmate. He needing to stop pining over someone who wasn’t his, and find the person who really was. Dean stepped out of the steaming shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Determined not to back down, Dean dressed, packed his things, grabbed his keys, and went out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's Matchmaking appointment.

Dean bounced his knee as he sat waiting for his matchmaking appointment. He’d called on the way over to let them know he was coming and to ask if there were any open slots, which thankfully, there were. He had to wait half an hour, and although it seemed short, it felt like a million years to Dean. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman emerged from the doorway leading to the back of the building. Dean thought that she somewhat resembled Ms. Frizzle from ‘The Magic School Bus’, only more alternative in appearance. The woman called his name and gestured for him to follow her down the hall.

“I’m Tamika Steel by the way, but please call me Tammy.” Her smile reached her kind eyes, and something about her made Dean feel immediately at ease.

Her room was fairly neat, but contained some interesting items that distracted Dean momentarily from what he was about to do. Healing crystals of all different colours lined the window sill and her desk, accompanied by candles and some burning incense. What captured Dean’s attention the most, however, was the easel in the corner with a half-finished painting on it. He could make out some impressive golden-white wings on the top half of the canvas, and some formless shapes in red and black on the bottom half. Tammy noticed him staring at her work and flushed a light pink.

“Sorry about that, it just needs some time to dry.” She apologised, leading him to the arm chairs in the centre of the room.

“No, no, it’s not a problem. Did you paint it? Can I ask what it’s of?” Dean’s eyes didn’t leave the work as he sat down across from Tammy.

Tammy crossed her legs elegantly as she lowered herself into the chair.

“Ah, yes that is mine. It’s not quite finished yet, but it’s meant to be an angel pulling the righteous out of hell. It’s not as weird as it seems, I swear, I’ve just been taking some art classes lately and this is a practice,” Tammy rambled, her blush deepening, “Anyway, shall we get down to business?”

Dean dragged his eyes away from the piece to settle on the woman sitting in front of him. He took a deep breath to steel himself. He was really doing this.

 _I can’t back down now. If Cas is happy, then I’ll be damned if I can’t be happy too. Even if it means I’m not happy with_ him _._

He nodded at her and she held out her hands, palms up.

“Don’t freak out but I’m going to need to hold your hands to get a proper look into that head of yours. I’m ready whenever you are Dean.” She told him, smiling gently.

Dean liked that she wasn’t using cold or professional language, and wasn’t talking down to him like most people did. He nodded at her, gulped audibly, and slowly held out his hands. Tammy held eye contact with him as she joined their hands, reassuring him silently that it was okay.

“I’ll need you to close your eyes.” She told him.

He swallowed, his fear kicking in the closer he got to finding out who his soulmate was.

 _Don’t be such a pussy,_ Dean chastised himself.

Dean closed his eyes and held them tight; stiffening as he prepared for God-knows what came next. Tammy’s hands were warm in his, and as her hands tightened slightly, he began to feel something in the front of his head. It felt like someone was pulling at something inside his head, and as the seconds ticked by, the pulling grew stronger, and Dean soon had his eyes screwed tightly shut, and his body as stiff as a board as he instinctively tried to fight against it. The pulling didn’t hurt exactly, but Dean felt the intrinsic need to pull away, to stop this invasion into his mind. The pulling grew progressively stronger, and just as Dean was about to pull away from her grasp, the feeling disappeared. It was strange, he felt as if a dam had just built up in his head, and then suddenly it was released, flooding out as Tammy pulled away from him. There was a dull ache in Dean’s temples, and he rubbed them gently as he opened his eyes.

“How do you feel?” Tammy questioned him, her lips drawn into a concerned pout.

“Uhh,” Dean struggled to clear the fog in his mind for a moment, “Yeah, alright I think. A little bit foggy, but kind of relieved? I guess?  I can’t explain it.”

Tammy’s pout turned into a smile, “Good! Perfect, that’s how you should feel. You’ll feel normal again in about five minutes. Are you ready to know who your soulmate is?”

Tammy bit her lip in what Dean assumed was an attempt to contain her excitement. Dean was pleased that at least someone was excited.

“Hit me with it.” He tried to smile confidently.

Tammy clapped her hands together and grinned widely, “Okay, Dean. Your soulmate is a lovely looking young man named Castiel Noval. Do you happen to know him?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas frets about Dean's disappearance on the morning of his wedding.

"Cas, I’m really sorry but no one’s been able to contact Dean.” Gabriel fretted as Cas paced his room, half-dressed in his wedding tux.

“Has anyone called the police yet?” Cas couldn’t think straight through all the worry.

“Yes but, because he’s a legal adult and it seems that he left of his own accord, they’re not exactly considering it a high priority right now. It sounds bad, but I can see where they’re coming from.”

Cas frowned, shaking his head aggressively. How on earth was he supposed to be happy and get married to the apparent love of his life when his best friend was missing?

“Something’s not right here Cas, and I think everyone knows it. I pulled some strings while I was in the police department and looked into this whole thing with Crowley.  They didn’t find anything, of course. They can never find anything on Crowley, he covers his tracks well. But I promise you we’ll keep looking; I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Gabriel walked over to Cas and placed both hands on his shoulders, stopping Cas' pacing.

Cas nodded, his expression blank. He didn’t know how to react to that information, he didn’t know what to do with anything. _He couldn’t_ _do_ _anything at all;_  he felt trapped.

 _I wish Dean was here_ , he thought.

Suddenly, there was a light knocking on Cas’ bedroom door.

“Cas? Gabriel? We need to leave for the church in ten minutes. I hope you’re both ready.” Michael called, and then the sound of his steps faded as he descended away from Cas’ room.

Cas looked at Gabriel then, his eyes wide with fear.

“It’s time to get married, little brother.” Gabriel told him, frowning deeply as he tied Cas’s bowtie.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean comes to terms with shocking information.

Dean’s thoughts echoed Tamika’s words over and over as he sped in the Impala back to Lawrence.

_“… Your soulmate is a lovely looking young man named Castiel Novak…”_

At first he only stared at Tammy, his mouth gaping open. Time seemed to stop in that moment, his vision was frosted glass and his auditory perception was muffled nothings. He struggled to decipher truths from lies, and didn’t know what to believe. Slowly, sluggishly, a woman’s voice dragged his mind back into the present moment.

“Dean… Dean!” Tammy waved her hands frantically in front of the boy’s face.

“I-uh-I don’t-,“ Dean spluttered, his mouth opening and closing with few intelligible words coming out.

“Christ, boy! You’d gone catatonic on me.” She placed a hand over Dean’s and tried to maintain eye contact. “Do you know this Castiel? Has something happened? You need to tell me what’s wrong here. Deep breaths, come on.”

Inhale, exhale. Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, he spoke.

“No- uh- that’s not right. That can’t be right…”

“Dean, what do you mean?”

“That’s not right because… he already has a soulmate. He was matched a few days ago… he’s getting married today for God’s sake! No, you read me wrong. Sure, I’ll admit I might have feelings for him but that’s probably what you got from my head. Just some infatuation with my best friend. No, he belongs to Crowley. Read me again.” Dean was babbling then, trying his best to cover up the fact that he just admitted his feelings for Cas.

Tammy's eyes grew wide as her entire demeanour stilled, “Crowley?” She asked, her voice suddenly very quiet.

Dean nodded, his scarlet cheeks betraying his embarrassment and shame.

“You don’t understand, Dean. I’m _never_ wrong. The fact that he’s already been matched was suspicious enough, but he’s been matched with _Crowley_?” She growled.

“I don’t understand.” Dean’s voice sounded meek even to his own ears.

Tammy grabbed his shoulders and leaned in close, forcing eye contact between them. Dean started to pull away, but her grip was like iron.

“Listen Dean. _You’re_ the one who’s meant to be with Castiel. You are each other’s soulmates. That Crowley bastard has stolen him from you for his own purposes and gain. I can only assume it’s money and status related.”

Dean stopped trying to pull away, his body rigid. He paused, searching her eyes. He _really_ wanted to believe her.

“How do you-“ He started.

“Because he did the same thing to my sister.” She interrupted, her voice grave. “We were once an elite family. Money, status, you name it. My sister was very attractive as well, desirable to all suitors. When she was matched with Crowley, at first, she was excited. But then as she grew to know him, I started noticing changes. She would see us, her own family, less and less as time went by. She once admitted to me that she wasn't even sure she loved him, or that he really loved her. Her faith in the system was the only thing keeping her with him. I rarely saw her laugh and smile and sometimes I’d see a bruise or a scratch on her skin. She’s claim an accident, but I saw right through her.” Tammy paused, taking a shaky breath. “Then one day we got a call from the police. A freak car accident. They wouldn’t give us any details except for some vague comment about the brake lines.”

Dean’s heart was pounding, and Tammy's raw emotion was clear in her features. Sadness, grief, and something like rage was starting to take over.

“After her death, all her money, everything she had inherited from our late parents was left to Crowley. Not a cent for any of her siblings.” Tammy seemed far away, her anger transporting her to a distant memory.

“I’m so sorry.” Dean said, a wave of emotions he couldn’t yet fully understand washing over him, suffocating him.

Tammy shook her head, “What matters now is saving Castiel from that same horrible fate. Quick, give me the details of the wedding and I’ll call the police.”

Dean sprang into action, time finally speeding up. The next thing he knew, he was speeding back to Lawrence to save the one he loved.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas' wedding.

Ana ran to meet Cas and Gabriel as they entered the church. She dragged them to a room off the side where Michael waited and darted out again without saying a word. Her features were that of concern, her full lips turned down into a pout.

Cas nervously paced as his brothers silently watched and waited. Gabriel was texting furiously on his phone, while Michael sat still, seemingly content. He had seen Balthazar briefly, and he only patted him on the back saying, "It's going to be okay." Cas wished he could believe his brother. Everything was moving too quickly. Cas only grew more nervous at the murmurs of people growing louder as they started to fill the pews.

After a period of agonizing silence, Ana poked her head just inside the door and said “Sam Winchester is here, he wants to see you.”

Cas paused to look at her, then nodded. His heart rate picked up. Was there any news on Dean? God help him, his heart yearned for the green-eyed boy.

“Cas!” Sam ran inside, throwing his arms around Castiel.

He squeezed for a moment before letting go. Looking up at Cas, he slowly shook his head, his eyebrows drawn together.

“Before you ask, there’s no news on Dean.”

Cas’ heart fell. How was he expected to be happy when his best friend was missing? This was supposed to be the happiest day of his life.

“Castiel!” Ana chided, stalking over to him.

Cas moved away from Sam and looked quizzically at his sister, “What?”

“That bow tie looks ridiculous. Take it off. I brought that tie you and Dean picked out last year for your birthday. Brings out your eyes. Perfect for your wedding.” Ana gave him a small smile.

She thrust the navy material into his hands, and he took it carefully. For some insane reason he couldn’t quell the sudden need to cry. He had never emotionally ached so much. Confusion and emotion clouded his thoughts as he turned away from his sister.

“I’ll just go put it on.” He spoke swiftly, his voice deep as he tried not to choke on the lump forming in his throat.

A moment later he had disappeared into the bathroom, and his head fell into his hands.

 _I don’t understand,_ He thought.

*

Music filled the air, and all the people in the pews turned to look at Cas. Cas gripped onto Michael’s elbow for what seemed like dear life as they began their descent down the aisle. Crowley was smiling almost hungrily at Cas, and he wondered if that was how a loving smile just happened to look on his features.

 _Never judge a book by its cover,_ Cas thought, _Even though its pages also seem seedy. He’s meant to be the love of my life._

 _He’s meant to be the love of my life._ Cas repeated as he continued to march.

People were smiling at him with botox smiles, their bodies adorned in overly expensive and garish fabric. Cas wondered how his family could ever be friends, or even acquaintances with half of these people. He hoped his future wouldn’t look so simultaneously clown-like, and bleak.

A crack of thunder broke through the music, followed by the sound of rain. His feet were lead, forcefully being dragged down a red carpeted aisle. The church organs which usually gave him comfort and peace now only put him further on edge. He was willing himself to breathe, to believe this was the right thing to do. He only wished that Dean was going to be up there with him to support him, as his best man. Or at least, that was the idea Cas was trying to maintain. But he couldn’t quite suppress the image of Dean waiting at the end of the aisle for him. Not as his best man, but as the groom. Suddenly Cas felt very sick.

Too soon, Michael was letting go of Cas with a light pat on the back and a nod at Crowley. The blue-eyed boy gulped as he stared at the man who was to be his future husband. Crowley's smile widened as he took the younger boy's hands into his own; and they both turned to face the minister. As the minister began the cliched "We are all gathered here today..." speech, Cas was becoming increasingly aware of his escaping freedom. He wanted to believe that the system was real and true, that Crowley really  _was_ his soulmate. The Matchmaking system was something he had unconditionally believed in his entire life; and for the first time, he felt doubt creep into his mind like an unwanted stranger.

Generic vows passed through his and Crowley's lips, and words of love and life were endowed by the minister. Weren't ceremonies usually supposed to have grand declarations of love for one another? With loving promises that would last a life time? Cas couldn't decide whether he was glad they didn't happen or not.

"I do." 

Crowley's words broke through the fog of Cas' mind, abruptly bringing him back to reality. Castiel, alarmed, stared at Crowley, then at the minister. Was it at that point already? 

_BANG._

A loud noise echoed throughout the room, interrupting the minister. Cas jumped, his gasp accompanied by that of those around him. At breakneck speed, he turned around to see Dean running down the aisle towards him, completely dishevelled and wild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did change this chapter from what it originally was to make it just that little bit more dramatic, ya know? And yes, I recognise how incredibly cliche, unrealistic, and cringey this is, but I love it and it is what it is my friends. Hope you enjoy :)


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